Wednesday, November 18, 2015

After Paris, Putin Offers the West a Three-Part Deal He Thinks It Can’t Refuse, Yakovenko Says

Paul
Goble

Staunton, November 18 – In the wake
ofthe Paris tragedy, Vladimir Putin,
Moscow officials and Russian commentators have precisely duplicated “the
classical model of behavior of a racketeer,” pointing out to the West that
because “you didn’t want to pay, now look how your store is burning to the
ground,” according to Ukrainian commentator Igor Yakovenko.

That may seem like a sweeping
conclusion to some, but Yakovenko backs it up with quotations from a wide
variety of people in Moscow that suggests if anything he has understated Putin’s
idea of a deal. Among them are the following:

·Russian
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that “we hope that the events in
Paris will put everything in its place and significantly change the ranking of
priorities in Washington and other NATO capitals.”

·Patriarch
Kirill’s protégé, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin said that after Paris, “the world
must forget about tolerance.”

·Sergey
Markov, a member of the Russian Social chamber, wrote that “it is necessary to
end the conflict of Russia and the West as a result of Ukraine. The junta must
be replaced by a technical president. The constitution must be changed … the
Kyiv junta is one of the main obstacles for the joint struggle of the US, the
EU and Russia against terrorism.”

·Igor
Karaulov, a poet and commentator, wrote in “Izvestiya” that “the closing of
borderso and the introduction of martial law” show the way to the future. If
France follows them by electing Marine LePen “and sets up a national French
government, based on traditional values, then it will be possible to find some
solution of the problems presented by migrants.” Zakhar Prilepin, a writer, seconded
that opinion. With LePen in power, “Russia will have a most powerful ally in
Europe and then we will talk.”

·The
writer Eduard Limonov, also in “Izvestiya” said that once again Russians are
being asked to “save the world.” The costs will be high but not as high as in
World War II, hundreds of thousands of dead rather than millions.

·Maksim
Shevchenko, a Moscow commentator, immediately after the attacks in Paris
focused on the Charlie Hebdo case as a way of suggesting that those who had
died in Paris had in large measure brought it upon themselves. TV host Dmitry
Kiseleyv said much the same thing.

·Moscow
political analyst Pavel Svyatenkov was more explicit: he wrote in “Izvestiya”
that “France has sowed the wind and is now reaping the whirlwind.”

·Duma
Deputy Irina Yarovaya said on a Sunday talk show that what Russia faces now is “the
attack of American anti-democratism” and that just as everyone united against
Hitlerism 70 years ago, they will do the same against the American threat.

·Senator
Igor Morozov observed that “since the Americans cannot be the guarantor of
security, Russia and Europe must establish a unified Europe, the key link of
which is Russia.”

·Political
analyst Dmitry Kulikov insisted that “our fate is Eurasian” and thus Russia
must organize “Eurasian security” to include the countries of the Middle East.

·And
orientalist Ruslan Kurbatov said that the news since Paris was good as far as
Moscow is concerned: “First, we have seized the initiative from the US, and
second, Europe is ready to reach agreement with us.”